The device defined in the opening paragraph is disclosed in the DE-OS No. 29 34 407. Herein the laserbeam emerging from a laser is split by means of a dual-slot diaphragm (splitter) into two sub-laserbeams which are deflected by an optical deflection unit towards the connecting elements of an electronic component. The component can be adjusted to the correct position by means of a workpiece support and additionally the sub-laserbeams can be deflected by adjusting the mirror employed in the optical deflection unit In actual practice it was found that it is almost impossible, or only at great technical cost to obtain an only approximate accurate identical distribution of the energy over the plurality of sub-laserbeams. The sub-laserbeams must however have a largely identical intensity, as otherwise under one sub-laserbeam the component or the printed circuit board is burnt, whereas the intensity of the other sub-laserbeam is in certain circumstances not sufficient to obtain a satisfactory soldered joint. Moreover laser energy is lost because of the use of a dual-slot diaphragm.
In addition, a device for the simultaneous soldering of two connecting elements of an electronic component onto a printed circuit board is disclosed in the DE-PS No. 35 39 933. Therein, a laser produces two sub-laserbeams of identical intensities, which are directed to the connecting elements of a component via an optical deflection unit. The generation of sub-laser light beams of identical intensities is however very costly.
In the prior art devices mentioned in the foregoing, the two sub-laserbeams are directed to the connecting elements via an optical deflection unit comprising movable mirrors. The mirrors are oriented before the soldering procedure. Using this device it is not possible to simultaneously solder or weld more than two connecting elements onto a printed circuit board In addition, the prior art devices are of an expensive structure, and before working the work piece costly positioning procedures of the mirrors must be effected.